Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is the capital city of Pennsylvania, a U.S. state. It is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania, with about 50,000 people living there according to the 2020 census. The area around Harrisburg, called the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area, has about 615,000 people.

The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, about 83 miles southwest of Allentown and 107 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Harrisburg has been important in American history, playing a role during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. The building of the Pennsylvania Canal and the Pennsylvania Railroad helped the city grow into an important industrial center.

Harrisburg has hosted many big events, including the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the U.S., and the Great American Outdoor Show, the largest of its kind in the world. In 1979, a serious incident happened at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant nearby in Middletown.

History

Main article: History of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Harrisburg history.

Founding

Harrisburg's site along the Susquehanna River is thought to have been home to Native Americans as early as 3000 BC. Known to the Native Americans as "Peixtin", or "Paxtang", the area was an important resting place and crossroads for Native American traders with trails leading from the Delaware to the Ohio rivers and from the Potomac to the Upper Susquehanna intersecting there.

17th century

The first European contact with Native Americans in Pennsylvania was made by Englishman Captain John Smith, who journeyed from Virginia up the Susquehanna River in 1608 and visited with the Susquehanna tribe.

18th century

Further information: Pennsylvania in the American Revolution

In 1719, John Harris, Sr., an English trader, settled here and 14 years later secured grants of 800 acres (3.2 km²) in this vicinity. In 1785, John Harris, Jr. made plans to lay out a town on his father's land, which he named Harrisburg. In the spring of 1785, the town was formally surveyed by William Maclay, who was a son-in-law of John Harris, Sr. In 1791, Harrisburg became incorporated, and in October 1812 it was named the Pennsylvania state capital, which it has remained ever since. The assembling here of the highly sectional Harrisburg Convention in 1827 (signaling what may have been the birth of lobbying on a national scale) led to the passage of the high protective-tariff bill of 1828.

In 1839, William Henry Harrison and John Tyler were nominated for president and Vice President of the United States at the first national convention of the Whig Party of the United States, which was held in Harrisburg.

19th century

See also: Underground Railroad in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Before Harrisburg gained its first industries, it was a scenic, pastoral town: compact and surrounded by farmland. In 1822, the impressive brick capitol was completed for $200,000 (~$5.93 million in 2024).

Harrisburg's strategic location gave it an advantage over many other towns; it was settled as a trading post in 1719 at a location important to westward expansion, past the Blue Mountain range. The Susquehanna River flowed generally west to east at this location, providing a route for boat traffic from the east. The head of navigation was a short distance northwest of the town, where the river flowed through the pass. Persons arriving from the east by boat had to exit at Harrisburg and prepare for an overland journey westward through the mountain pass. Harrisburg assumed importance as a provisioning stop at this point where westward bound pioneers transitioned from river travel to overland travel. It was partly because of its strategic location that the state legislature selected the small town of Harrisburg to become the state capital in 1812.

The grandeur of the Colonial Revival capitol dominated the quaint town. The streets were dirt, but orderly and platted in grid pattern. The Pennsylvania Canal was built in 1834 and coursed the length of the town. The residential houses were situated on only a few city blocks stretching southward from the capitol. They were mostly one story. No factories were present but there were blacksmith shops and other businesses. The ownership of land concentrated in the hands of a small number of wealthy families: five people held one-third of private land in 1850.

During the first part of the 19th century, Harrisburg was a notable stopping place along the Underground Railroad, as persons escaping slavery used the Susquehanna River to access food and supplies before heading north towards Canada.

During the American Civil War, Harrisburg became a significant training center for the Union army, with tens of thousands of troops passing through Camp Curtin, which was established on 18 April 1861 and named in honor of Pennsylvania's Civil War-era governor, Andrew Gregg Curtin.

Harrisburg functioned as a major rail center for the Union and a vital link between the Atlantic coast and the Midwest, with several railroads running through the city and spanning the Susquehanna River. As a result of this importance, the city was targeted by General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia during the army's two invasions. First, during the 1862 Maryland Campaign, when Lee planned to capture the city after taking Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, but was prevented from doing so by the Battle of Antietam and his subsequent retreat back into Virginia. The second attempt was made during the Gettysburg campaign in 1863 and was more substantial. Under orders from Gen. Robert E. Lee directly, Confederate Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's Second Corps were tasked with capturing Harrisburg and disrupting the vital Union supply and rail lines. However, Ewell's forces were intercepted by the forces of the Department of the Susquehanna under the command of Union Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch in a series of skirmishes surrounding the city, such as the Skirmish of Sporting Hill in Camp Hill, just 2 miles (3 km) west of Harrisburg. The Second Corp were ultimately unsuccessful in both overcoming the local Union defenses and crossing the rain bloated Susquehanna into Harrisburg itself, and were forced to retreat southward to regroup with Lee's main Confederate force. This attempt marked the northernmost advance of the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

On July 3, 1863, the artillery barrage that marked the beginning of Pickett's Charge of the Battle of Gettysburg was heard from Harrisburg, almost 40 miles away.

Harrisburg's importance in the latter half of the 19th century was in the steel industry. It was an important railroad center as well. Steel and iron became dominant industries. Steel and other industries continued to play a major role in the local economy throughout the latter part of the 19th century. The city was the center of enormous railroad traffic and its steel industry supported large furnaces, rolling mills, and machine shops. The Pennsylvania Steel Company plant, which opened in nearby Steelton in 1866, was the first in the country; later operated by Bethlehem Steel.

Its first large scale iron foundries were put into operation shortly after 1850. As industries nationwide entered a phase of great expansion and technological improvement, so did industries – and in particular the steel industry – in Harrisburg. This can be attributed to a combination of factors that were typical of what existed in other successful industrial cities: rapid rail expansion; nearby markets for goods; and nearby sources for raw product.

With Harrisburg poised for growth in steel production, Steelton became the ideal location for this type of industry. It was a wide swath of flat land located south of the city, with rail and canal access running its entire 4 mile length. There was plenty of room for houses and its own downtown section. Steelton was a company town, opened in 1866 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. Highly innovative in its steel making process, it became the first mill in the United States to make steel railroad rails by contract. In its prime, Steelton was home to more than 16,000 residents from 33 different ethnic groups. All were employed in the steel industry, or had employment in services that supported it. In the late 19th century, no less than five major steel mills and foundries were located in Steelton. Each contained a maze of buildings; conveyances for moving the products; large yards for laying down equipment; and facilities for loading their product on trains. Stacks from these factories constantly belched smoke. With housing and a small downtown area within walking distance, these were the sights and smells that most Steelton residents saw every day.

The rail yard was another area of Harrisburg that saw rapid and thorough change during the years of industrialization. This was a wide expanse of about two dozen railroad tracks that grew from the single track of the early 1850s. By the late 19th century, this area was the width of about two city blocks and formed what amounted to a barrier along the eastern edge of the city: passable only by bridge. Three large and ornately embellished passenger depots were built by as many rail lines. Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest rail line in Harrisburg. It built huge repair facilities and two large roundhouses in the 1860s and 1870s to handle its enormous freight and passenger traffic and to maintain its colossal infrastructure. Its rails ran the length of Harrisburg, along its eastern border. It had a succession of three passenger depots, each built on the site of the predecessor, and each of high style architecture, including a train shed to protect passengers from inclement weather. At its peak in 1904, it made 100 passenger stops per day. It extended west to Pittsburgh, across the entire state, and east to Philadelphia, serving Steelton along the route. The anthracite coal mines in the Allegheny Mountains were reached by the Northern Central Railroad. The Lebanon Valley Railroad extended east to Philadelphia with spurs to New York City. Another rail line was the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, which provided service to Philadelphia and other points east.

Allison Hill, Harrisburg's first suburb, is located east of the city on a prominent bluff, accessed by bridges across a wide swath of train tracks. It was developed in the late 19th century and offered affluent Harrisburg residents the opportunity to live in the suburbs only a few hundred yards from their jobs in the city. As the city expanded, it incorporated Allison Hill in its boundaries. In 1886, a single horse trolley line was established from the city to Allison Hill. Easy access was later achieved via the State Street Bridge leading east from the Capitol complex and the Market Street Bridge leading from the city's prominent business district. Among the most desirable sections of Allison Hill at the time was Mount Pleasant, which was characterized by large Colonial Revival-style houses with yards for the very wealthy and smaller but still well-built row houses lining the main street for the moderately wealthy. State Street, leading from the Capitol directly toward Allison Hill, was planned to provide a grand view of the Capitol dome for those approaching the city from Allison Hill. This trend towards outlying residential areas began slowly in the late 19th century and was largely confined to the trolley line, but the growing prevalence of automobile ownership quickened the trend and spread out the population in the 20th century.

20th century

In the early 20th century, the city of Harrisburg was in need of change. Without proper sanitation, diseases such as typhoid began killing many citizens of Harrisburg. Seeing these necessary changes, several Harrisburg residents became involved in the City Beautiful movement. The project focused on providing better transportation, spaces for recreation, sanitation, landscaping, and parks for those living in cities, as research showed that a person with access to amenities would be a happier person**.** In December 1900, a reformer named Mira Lloyd Dock, who had recently encountered well-ordered urban centers on an international trip to Europe, gave a lecture on "The City Beautiful" to Harrisburg's Board of Trade. Other prominent citizens of the city such as J. Horace McFarland and Vance McCormick advocated urban improvements which were influenced by European urban planning design and the World's Columbian Exposition. Warren Manning was hired to help bring about these changes. Specifically, their efforts greatly enlarged the Harrisburg park system, creating Riverfront Park, Reservoir Park, the Italian Lake and Wildwood Park. In addition, plans were undertaken for new water filtration, burial of electric wires, the paving of roads, and the creation of a modern sanitary sewer system. The efforts to improve the city also paralleled the construction of an expanded monumental Capitol complex in 1906 which led, in turn, to the displacement of the Old Eighth Ward, one of the most ethnically and racially diverse communities in Harrisburg.

The decades between 1920 and 1970 were characterized by industrial decline and population shift from the city to the suburbs. Like most other cities which faced a loss of their industrial base, Harrisburg shifted to a service-oriented base, with industries such as health care and convention centers playing a big role. Harrisburg's greatest problem was a shrinking city population after 1950. This loss in population followed a national trend and was a delayed result of the decline of Harrisburg's steel industry. This decline began almost imperceptibly in the late 1880s, but did not become evident until the early 20th century.

After being held in place for about 5 years by WWII armament production, the population peaked shortly after the war, but then took a long-overdue dive as people fled from the city. Hastening the white flight to the suburbs were the cheap and available houses being built away from the crime and deteriorating situation of the city. The reduction in city population coincided with the rise in population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area. The trend continued until the 1990s.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, was first held in 1917 and has been held every January since then. The present location of the Show is the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, located at the corner of Maclay and Cameron streets.

On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, along the Susquehanna River located in Londonderry Township which is south of Harrisburg, suffered a partial meltdown. Although the meltdown was contained and radiation leakages were minimal, there were still worries that an evacuation would be necessary. Governor Dick Thornburgh, on the advice of Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Joseph Hendrie, advised the evacuation "of pregnant women and pre-school age children ... within a five-mile radius of the Three Mile Island facility." Within days, 140,000 people had left the area.

Stephen R. Reed was elected mayor in 1981 and served until 2009, making him the city's longest-serving mayor. In an effort to end the city's long period of economic troubles, he initiated several projects to attract new business and tourism to the city. Several museums and hotels such as Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, the National Civil War Museum and the Hilton Harrisburg and Towers were built during his term, along with many office buildings and residential structures. Several minor league professional sports franchises, including the Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League, the Harrisburg Heat indoor soccer club, and Penn FC of the United Soccer League began operations in the city during his tenure as mayor. While praised for the vast number of economic improvements, Reed has also been criticized for population loss and mounting debt. For example, during a budget crisis the city was forced to sell $8 million worth of Western and American-Indian artifacts collected by Mayor Reed for a never-realized museum celebrating the American West.

21st century

During the nearly 30-year tenure of former Mayor Stephen Reed from 1981 to 2009, city officials ignored legal restraints on the use of bond proceeds, as Reed spent the money pursuing interests including collecting Civil War and Wild West memorabilia – some of which was found in Reed's home after his arrest on corruption charges. Infrastructure was left unrepaired, and the heart of the city's financial woes was a trash-to-electricity plant, the Harrisburg incinerator, which was supposed to generate income but instead, because of increased borrowing, incurred a debt of $320 million.

Missing audits and convoluted transactions, including swap agreements, make it difficult to state how much debt the city owes. Some estimates put total debt over $1.5 billion, which would mean that every resident would owe $30,285. These numbers do not reflect the school system deficit, the school district's $437 million long-term debt, nor unfunded pension and healthcare obligations.

Harrisburg was the first municipality ever in the history of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to be charged with securities fraud, for misleading statements about its financial health. The city agreed to a plea bargain to settle the case.

In October 2011, Harrisburg filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy when four members of the seven-member City Council voted to file a bankruptcy petition to prevent the Pennsylvania State Government from taking over the city's finances. Bankruptcy Judge Mary France dismissed the petition on the grounds that the City Council majority had filed it over the objection of Mayor Linda Thompson, reasoning that the filing not only required the mayor's approval but had circumvented state laws concerning financially distressed cities.

Instead, a state-appointed receiver took charge of the city's finances. Governor Tom Corbett appointed bond attorney David Unkovic as the city's receiver, but Unkovic resigned after only four months. Unkovic blamed disdain for legal restraints on contracts and debt for creating Harrisburg's intractable financial problem and said the corrupt influence of creditors and political cronies prevented fixing it.

As creditors began to file lawsuits to seize and sell off city assets, a new receiver, William B. Lynch, was appointed. The City Council opposed the new receiver's plans for tax increases and advocated a stay of the creditor lawsuits with a bankruptcy filing, while Mayor Thompson continued to oppose bankruptcy. State legislators crafted a moratorium to prevent Harrisburg from declaring bankruptcy, and after the moratorium expired, the law stripped the city government of the authority to file for bankruptcy and conferred it on the state receiver.

After two years of negotiations, in August 2013 Receiver Lynch revealed his comprehensive voluntary plan for resolving Harrisburg's fiscal problems. The complex plan called for creditors to write down or postpone some debt. To pay the remainder, Harrisburg sold the troubled incinerator, leased its parking garages for 40 years, and was to briefly go further into debt by issuing new bonds. Receiver Lynch had also called for setting up nonprofit investment corporations to oversee infrastructure improvement, repairing the city's crumbling roads and water and sewer lines, and pensions and economic development. These were intended to allow nonprofit fundraising and to reduce the likelihood of mismanagement by the city government.

Harrisburg's City Council and the state Commonwealth Court approved the plan, and became implemented. The city balanced its budget in the late 2010s, was expected to have a surplus of $1 million in 2019, and maintained a surplus in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Geography

Harrisburg is found in South Central Pennsylvania, close to big cities like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Pittsburgh. The city covers about 11.4 square miles, with some of that area being water. Nearby places include the Blue Mountain ridge and the Cumberland Valley.

Harrisburg is next to the Susquehanna River and is split into many neighborhoods. Some nearby areas share the Harrisburg name for mailing purposes, such as Lower Paxton, Middle Paxton, Swatara, West Hanover, Penbrook, and Paxtang. The United States Postal Service uses 26 ZIP Codes for the Harrisburg area.

Harrisburg has changing weather throughout the year. Summers can be hot and humid, with temperatures sometimes reaching above 90 °F. Winters are generally cool, with occasional snow. The city has seen very hot days, like 107 °F in 1966, and very cold nights, like −22 °F in 1994.

Cityscape

Neighborhoods

Main article: List of Harrisburg neighborhoods

Downtown Harrisburg is the main business and financial area for the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. It is also where the government of Dauphin County and the state of Pennsylvania meets. The city has more than a dozen big neighborhoods and historic areas.

Architecture

Harrisburg has buildings and designs that show styles from over 200 years ago. Special areas help protect these old buildings and guide new ones to match the old styles.

The most famous building is the Pennsylvania State Capitol, finished in 1906. Its big dome stands 272 feet tall and looks like a famous building in Rome. Many artists helped decorate it with sculptures, paintings, and special tiles that tell Pennsylvania’s story. This building is not the tallest in the city. The tallest is 333 Market Street, standing 341 feet high. Other tall buildings include Pennsylvania Place at 291 feet, the Pennsylvania State Capitol at 272 feet, Presbyterian Apartments at 259 feet, and the Fulton Bank Building at 255 feet.

A panoramic view of downtown Harrisburg can be seen from Wormleysburg across the Susquehanna River. You can spot the M. Harvey Taylor Memorial Bridge, City Island, and the Walnut Street Bridge along with the Market Street bridges, photographed in March 2013.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Harrisburg had a population of 50,099 people. The median age was 33.5 years, with about a quarter of residents under the age of 18 and over 12% aged 65 or older.

The city is mostly made up of urban areas, with almost no rural residents. About a quarter of households had children under 18, and many households were led by single mothers. There were also many individuals living alone.

The city has a rich mix of ethnic backgrounds, including a large Pennsylvania Dutch community and notable German-American, Irish-American, and Swedish-American populations.

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

2000 census

Economy

See also: List of companies based in the Harrisburg area

Harrisburg is an important center for many communities around it. The city has many different kinds of jobs, with lots of work in health care, technology, and biotechnology. Because it is the capital, government jobs are also very important. Big companies such as Ahold Delhaize, ArcelorMittal Steel, HP Inc., IBM, Hershey Foods, Harsco Corporation, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Rite Aid Corporation, Tyco Electronics, and Volvo Construction Equipment have offices here. The federal and state governments are the biggest employers and help keep the economy strong. The area’s good transportation makes it a good place for trade and moving goods.

Employers

Top 10

According to the Region Economic Development Corporation, the top employers in the region are:

People and culture

See also: Central Pennsylvania accent, Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and Pennsylvania Dutch English

Culture

In the middle of the last century, Harrisburg had many places for music and shows, like the Madrid Ballroom and the Hi-Hat. Famous jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie performed there.

Today, Harrisburg has art groups and museums, like the Susquehanna Art Museum. Downtown has big places for shows, such as the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts and The Forum. Since 2001, downtown has become more lively with new places for music and dancing.

In 2004, Harrisburg had a fun event called CowParade, where artists decorated cow statues around the city. Since the mid-2010s, more concerts and events have made Harrisburg a fun place to visit.

Events

Harrisburg holds many big events each year that people from far away come to see.

• The gathering of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA happens here in July.
• The huge Pennsylvania Farm Show happens each year, where farmers show their animals.
• The Great American Outdoor Show in February is a big event for outdoor fun.
• Motorama is a big car show with over 2,000 racers.
• The Ice & Fire Festival in March has ice sculptures, fire dancers, and more.
• The Pennsylvania Auto Show happens each year.
• ArtsFest in the spring has artists selling their work.
• The Pride Festival of Central PA celebrates everyone.
• The Antique Fire Apparatus Show shows old fire trucks.
• The Harrisburg's Independence Day Celebration has food, music, and fireworks.
• The Kipona Festival in September celebrates the Susquehanna River with many fun activities.
• The Greenbelt’s Tour de Belt is a bike event.
• Cultural Fest in the summer celebrates different cultures.
• The Riverfront Park Concert Series has summer concerts.
• The Harrisburg Marathon happens each fall.
• WoofStock in September is for dog lovers.
• BrewFest in October has local beers and food.
• Harrisburg’s New Year’s Eve Celebration has music, kids’ activities, and fireworks.

Media

Harrisburg is part of a media area that includes towns around it. It has many newspapers, television, and radio stations.

Newspapers

• The Patriot-News
• Central Penn Business Journal
• Press and Journal (Pennsylvania)
• Carlisle Sentinel

Television

The Harrisburg TV market is served by:

• WGAL – (NBC)
• WXBU – (Univision)
• WHBG-TV – cable-only, public access
• WHP-TV – (CBS/MyNetworkTV/CW)
• WHTM-TV – (ABC)
• WCZS-LD – (CTVN)
• WITF-TV – (PBS)
• WPMT – (Fox)
• WLYH – independent, religious
• PCN-TV, is a cable television network dedicated to 24-hour coverage of government and public affairs in the commonwealth.
• Roxbury News – independent news

Radio

According to Arbitron, Harrisburg's radio market is ranked 78th in the nation.

This is a list of FM stations in the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area.

This is a list of AM stations in the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area.

Harrisburg in film

Main article: Harrisburg in film and television

Several feature films and television series have been filmed or set in and around Harrisburg and the greater Susquehanna Valley.

Museums, art collections, and sites of interest

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and List of Pennsylvania state historical markers in Dauphin County

• Broad Street Market, one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in the United States
• Dauphin County Veteran's Memorial Obelisk inspired by the classic Roman/Egyptian obelisk form; located in uptown Harrisburg
• Dauphin Narrows Statue of Liberty on the Susquehanna River north of Harrisburg
• Fort Hunter Mansion and Park, located north of downtown Harrisburg on a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna River
• Harrisburg Doll Museum, which contains over 5,000 dolls and toys stretching back to 1840
• John Harris – Simon Cameron Mansion, a National Historic Landmark located in downtown Harrisburg along the river
• Market Square, originally planned in 1785 and serves as the pinnacle of downtown
• Midtown Scholar Bookstore, largest independent bookstore on the East Coast
• National Civil War Museum, located at Reservoir Park and affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
• Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
• Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, one of the largest convention/exhibition centers on the east coast which hosts multiple annual events, most notably the Pennsylvania Farm Show
• Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, the center of government for the commonwealth and home to the state capitol building, state archives, and state library
• Pride of the Susquehanna paddle-wheel riverboat, offering daily sightseeing tours and special theme cruises
• Reservoir Park, the largest public park in the city containing an amphitheater and playground, and connected to the Greenbelt
• State Museum of Pennsylvania, featuring a planetarium and the Marshalls Creek Mastodon, one of the most complete mastodon fossils in North America.
• Strawberry Square, across the street from the Capitol Complex, home of many state offices and a small shopping center
• Susquehanna art museum, recently renovated and relocated in Midtown
• Art Association of Harrisburg, founded in 1926, located in the Governor Findlay Mansion
• Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, features an IMAX theater
• Zamoreha Shrine Building, a significant example of Moorish Revival architecture.

Parks and recreation

The following is a list of the major parks of Harrisburg:

• Capital Area Greenbelt, a twenty mile long greenway linking city neighborhoods, parks and open spaces. It connects Wildwood Lake Park, Riverfront Park, the Harrisburg Mall, Penbrook Park, Reservoir Park, Harrisburg Area Community College, and Veterans Park. It is open to cyclists and pedestrians.
• City Island and Beach
• Italian Lake, 9.4 acre park located in the Uptown neighborhood.
• Paxtang Park, a historic 40-acre trolley park in the 1900s, restored in 2020 as a park with mountain bike trails
• Reservoir Park
• Riverfront Park
• Wildwood Lake Park

Sports

See also: Sports in Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is a center for sports in South Central Pennsylvania. The area has three professional baseball teams: the Harrisburg Senators, the Lancaster Stormers, and the York Revolution. The Harrisburg Senators are the oldest, starting in 1987. The original Senators began in 1924 in the Eastern League, playing at Island Field. They won championships in 1927, 1928, and 1931, but a flood destroyed their field in 1936. Later, a team linked with the Pittsburgh Pirates played in Harrisburg until 1943, when it moved to York and became the York Pirates. Today’s Senators, linked with the Washington Nationals, have won many championships since 1987.

Government

City of Harrisburg

Main articles: List of mayors of Harrisburg and Harrisburg City Council

The Martin Luther King Jr. City Government Center is an important building in Harrisburg. It is the only city hall in the United States named after a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Harrisburg uses a "strong mayor" system, where the Mayor leads the city for four years and can serve many terms. The Mayor manages many city services, including public safety, public works, and parks.

There are seven city council members who help make decisions for the city. They serve four-year terms. There are also two other important jobs: city treasurer and city controller, who handle money matters.

Dauphin County

The Dauphin County Government Complex in downtown Harrisburg handles important jobs for the county. The main court for Harrisburg is the Court of Dauphin County.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Main article: Government of Pennsylvania

See also: List of Pennsylvania state agencies

The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex is a major center for government. It holds all the main offices for the state of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth Judicial Center in Harrisburg is home to three important state courts: the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.

Federal government

The Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in downtown Harrisburg is where many federal offices are located. It also houses a branch of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The United States military has a long history in the area, and many retired military people live in South Central Pennsylvania. The federal government, including the military, is a big employer in the area.

Military bases in the Harrisburg area include:

Transport

Airports

Further information: Harrisburg International Airport

Airlines fly to and from Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), located southeast of the city in Middletown. It is the third-busiest airport in Pennsylvania. Popular airports nearby include Baltimore, Dulles, and Philadelphia, but over a million people fly from Harrisburg each year. Airlines serving the airport include American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, and Allegiant Air. Capital City Airport (CXY) is a smaller airport for business planes and general aviation across the river in New Cumberland. Both airports are managed by the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority.

Public transit

Further information: Capital Area Transit (Harrisburg)

Capital Area Transit (CAT) runs public buses and other transit services in Harrisburg. Plans for a commuter rail line to connect Harrisburg with Lancaster were started but stopped in 2011.

Intercity bus service

The Harrisburg Transportation Center is where people catch long-distance buses. Companies like Greyhound, Capitol Trailways, and Fullington Trailways run buses from here to cities across Pennsylvania and nearby states. Megabus also has services from the Harrisburg Mall.

Regional scheduled line bus service

Rabbit Transit from York County runs buses to Harrisburg. Lebanon Transit also has express buses from Lebanon to Harrisburg. Another company, R & J Transport, runs scheduled buses for workers from Schuylkill County to downtown Harrisburg.

Rail

The old main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad went through Harrisburg. Amtrak now runs passenger trains here. The Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian go between New York, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg every day. Improvements to the tracks between Harrisburg and Philadelphia made the trip faster.

Roads and bridges

See also: List of crossings of the Susquehanna River

Harrisburg has many highways, including Interstate 76, I-81, I-83, and I-283. The city has many large bridges over the Susquehanna River. The Walnut Street Bridge is now just for walking and biking after flooding damaged parts of it.

Education

Public schools

Main article: Harrisburg School District (Pennsylvania)

Harrisburg has a school district that helps kids learn from kindergarten through twelfth grade. In 2003, a special school called SciTech High opened to help students learn more about math and science.

The city also has several special public schools called charter schools. The Central Dauphin School District, which is the largest in the area, has many schools with Harrisburg addresses. Another nearby district, Steelton-Highspire, also borders the Harrisburg School District.

Private schools

Harrisburg has many private schools, including Catholic schools run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. There are also other private schools like The Londonderry School and The Circle School. Harrisburg Academy, started in 1784, is one of the oldest private schools in the country. There are also Jewish and Christian schools in the area.

Higher education

Harrisburg is home to many colleges and universities. The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania has its main office in the city. Harrisburg Area Community College has several campuses in the area. Other schools include Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Messiah College's Harrisburg Institute, Penn State Harrisburg Eastgate Center, Temple University Harrisburg Campus, and Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

Libraries

Harrisburg has many libraries, including the Dauphin County Law Library, Dauphin County Library System, McCormick Library of Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg University Library, Penn State Harrisburg Library, State Library of Pennsylvania, and medical and law libraries at UPMC Pinnacle and Widener University School of Law.

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg has been home to many important people since the early 1700s. As the state capital and close to other cities, it has influenced Pennsylvania’s history for over two centuries. Many famous “Harrisburgers” have contributed to the state’s political, cultural, and industrial growth.

Actors

• Matt Cook, television actor Man with a Plan
• John A. Ellsler (1821–1903), actor and theatre manager, born in Harrisburg
• Nancy Kulp, actress
• Eric Mabius, actor Ugly Betty
• Mark Malkoff, comedian and filmmaker
• Eric Martsolf, actor and singer
• Pauline Moore, actress
• Kimberly Peirce, filmmaker
• Ciara Renée, actress
• Richard Sanders, actor

Artists, designers

• Grafton Tyler Brown, first African American artist to create works depicting the Pacific Northwest and California
• Stephanie A. Johnson (born 1952), mixed media artist, educator
• Rachel Nabors, cartoonist
• Barbara Tyson Mosley (born 1950) American mixed media artist.

Musicians

• Glenn Branca, avant-garde composer and guitarist
• Justin Duerr, musician and artist
• James Allen Gähres, music conductor
• Gene "Birdlegg" Pittman, blues harmonicist, singer and songwriter.
• Rudi Protrudi, rock musician
• Bobby Troup, actor, jazz pianist, and songwriter
• Robert White, musician

Politics, military, activism

• Betty Andujar, first Republican woman to serve in Texas State Senate (1973–1983), was born in Harrisburg in 1912
• David Conner, U.S. Navy commodore
• Candace Gingrich, civil rights activist
• Newt Gingrich, U.S. Representative 1979–99, Speaker of the House; born in Harrisburg.
• Nicholas P. Kafkalas, US Army major general
• Charles P. Mason, Vice admiral in the Navy during World War II and Navy Cross recipient
• Daniel C. Miller, Harrisburg City Controller
• Bruce I. Smith, state representative, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• George W. Smith, Major General in the Marine Corps
• William Trickett Smith, lawyer and the former chairman of the Dauphin County Republican Party
• Edward J. Stackpole, newspaper publisher, author, U.S. Army major general
• Perry A. Stambaugh, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 86
• Robert J. Stevenson, actor and politician, born 1915 in Harrisburg, Los Angeles City Council member
• Donald A. Stroh, U.S. Army major general, born in Harrisburg
• M. Harvey Taylor, Pennsylvania State Senator
• LeRoy Zimmerman, 40th Attorney General of Pennsylvania

Sports

• Les Bell, baseball player for 1926 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals
• Jennifer Brady, tennis player
• Gilbert Brown (born 1987), basketball player for Ironi Nahariya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Bruce Brubaker, baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers
• Marques Colston, wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints
• Larry Conjar, NFL player
• Phil Davis, UFC fighter
• Barney Ewell, Olympic gold medalist in National Track and Field Hall of Fame
• Hyleas Fountain, Olympic Games heptathlete
• Garry Gilliam, NFL player
• Dennis Green, head coach NFL teams the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals
• Scott Hilton, NFL player
• Jimmy Jones, CFL player
• Danny Lansanah, professional football player, Green Bay Packers
• Jeremy Linn, swimmer, gold and 2x-silver medalist at 1996 Summer Olympics and former world and American record holder
• Connor Maloney, professional soccer player
• LeSean McCoy, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles
• Jeffrey B. Miller, Head of Security for the National Football League
• Kevin Mitchell, former NFL linebacker and Super Bowl winner
• Micah Parsons, linebacker for the Green Bay Packers
• Jim Price, baseball player and broadcaster
• Ed Ruth, three-time NCAA collegiate wrestling champion (2012–2014), mixed martial artist fighter
• Robert Tate, NFL cornerback for Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals
• Ricky Watters, NFL running back, Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl winner
• Jan White, NFL player
• Kris Wilson, professional football player, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Diego Chargers

Writers

• Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and professor best known for the novel-turned-HBO series The Sympathizer, lived in Harrisburg until 1978.
• James Boyd, a resident of Front Street, wrote a novel about the city in 1935, Roll River.
• Thomas Morris Chester, prominent Black journalist, lawyer, and soldier in the Civil War, was born here.
• Carmen Finestra, television producer and writer.
• Jimmy Gownley, New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of Amelia Rules!.
• Kerry Shawn Keys, poet, writer, playwright, and translator.
• John O'Hara, author, a native of Pottsville, lived in Harrisburg briefly to write his novel about the city, A Rage to Live.
• Adam Resnick, comedic author, wrote about growing up in Harrisburg in his book Will Not Attend, and wrote the screenplay for Lucky Numbers (2000), a film taking place in Harrisburg.
• Will Stanton, long-published humor writer.
• John Wyeth, publisher of Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music (1810; Second Part 1813).

Others

• James Milnor Coit, teacher
• Carl Cover, aviation pioneer and test pilot
• Lindsay Czarniak, ESPN anchor
• Margaret B. Denning (1856–1935), missionary and temperance worker
• Alan Isaacman, lawyer who argued Hustler Magazine v. Falwell before the Supreme Court of the United States
• Agnes Kemp (1823–1908), American physician and temperance movement leader
• Clyde A. Lynch, president of Lebanon Valley College
• Kenneth W. Mack, historian and professor at Harvard Law School
• Edward C. Malesic, Catholic Bishop of Cleveland
• Robert James Miller, Medal of Honor recipient
• David C. Page (born 1956), biologist known for mapping the Y-chromosome
• Glenda Price, educator and former president of Marygrove College
• Frank Soday, chemist influential in development of alternative uses for synthetic fiber
• Dan Wilson, biologist and science communicator